Weaving In The Hands Of A Master: The World Of Maggie Murphy's Basketry - Original Georgia Traveler

Weaving In the hands of a master turns rough white oak strips into beautiful, durable baskets. That’s the world of Maggie Murphy's basketry weaving. I guess there are more basket makers in Cannon County, Tennessee than anywhere else in the country. Maggie and Willie Murphy live in the Short Mountain community near Woodbury. When we met in 1974, they had been weaving baskets for 30 years. Willie splits the white oak saplings for the baskets. It’s a critical part of the process. It they aren’t right Maggie’s baskets will be wrong. Bushel, round, corn, egg and feed baskets … she makes them all. It takes about a day to weave a basket, two if they are smaller. There’s fancy braiding on the handle, edge and bottom. It’s like a signature.
Over the next few years Maggie and Willie’s reputation grew and Maggie was sort of the face of the handcraft revival. People came from all over the world to sit under the big tree in the yard to learn how to weave a basket. And they did, from the hands of a master. Willie did most of the talking and Maggie did all of the weaving. This story aired on WTVF-TV Channel 5 Eyewitness News in 1974.
The Traveler Series started as the Tennessee Traveler at WLAC-TV in Nashville. It’s now WTVF. They told me to explore, talk with people and bring their stories back. This started ten years of roaming the south and later the country meeting the most amazing people. My sincere thanks to news director and anchor Chris Clark for giving me the best job in television.
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Long before CNN and Fox News the Traveler series with Andy Johnston was an Emmy award winning program that showcased amazing people, unusual things, local legends, food finds, outdoor activities, folk art, and family fun. In 2022 the Walter J. Brown Media Archives at the University of Georgia founded The Original Georgia Traveler -- Andy Johnston Collection to preserve and maintain the stories.
The Traveler Series celebrates life and living in America in the 1970s. Nostalgia, small towns, traditional life and the good old days. The stories give us ways to compare then and now. Folklore, music, handcrafts, vanishing America and unusual people. Funny stories, personal stories and amazing people are in this collection.
This story is presented for educational and preservation purposes and is covered under Fair Use. At the time it was broadcast the television station had a blanket music license with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. The station maintains that license today. All music used is covered under that agreement.
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[@PhilipDrown]

It would be truly exciting to come across one of their baskets today…possibly in some collectibles / vintage items shop. It would likely be just as good as when it was made by their hands.

[@Oliver66FarmBoy]

Those 2 are right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Had to watch it a few times to figure out what the ol boy was saying. That accent was THICK. lol

[@georgiatraveler]

That's a classic middle-Tennessee accent. They used to call it the three states of Tennessee because East, Middle and West Tennessee were so different.

[@olskool3967]

very cool, the problem is now, as a country we got lazy and cheap and allowed the Chinese to take us over. very sad,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@georgiatraveler]

Hi, I was surprised at how many people have come back to basket weaving. I still have one of Maggie's baskets. They weren't kidding. It's going to last a lifetime ... plus.